De Pere, WI Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted standard
- Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 328
- Adopting section
- De Pere Code § 54-3(a)(1)h
- Applies to
- New builds, additions, alterations, pre-1980 homes
- Also covers
- Detached garages and accessory buildings
- Enforced by
- City building inspector at permit inspections
- Record on file
- Kept at office of city building inspector
Summary
De Pere folds the state's smoke and carbon monoxide detector rules straight into its own building code. Sec. 54-3(a)(1)h adopts Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 328 by reference, and Sec. 54-3(c) extends it to new construction, additions, alterations, and even pre-1980 homes, garages and accessory buildings when they are worked on.
(1)The following provisions of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, collectively constituting the state uniform dwelling code, are adopted by reference and made part of this chapter as if fully set forth in this chapter: ... h.Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 328, Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. ... (c)Applicability. The Wisconsin Administrative Codes, as adopted in this chapter, are intended to apply to additions and alterations to one-family and two-family dwellings, including existing one-family and two-family dwellings, which were built prior to June 1, 1980 (effective adoption date of the uniform dwelling code), detached garages, accessory buildings, as well as new construction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 54-3(a) of the Code of Ordinances lists eight chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Code that together make up the state uniform dwelling code adopted for De Pere, and item h names 'Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 328, Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors' specifically. Sec. 54-3(a)(2) makes clear the adoption is not symbolic: any act the state chapter requires or prohibits is 'required or prohibited by this chapter,' so a missing or nonfunctioning detector is a City Code violation, not merely a state one.
Sec. 54-3(c) fixes how far the detector duty reaches: it applies to new one- and two-family construction, to additions and alterations of existing one- and two-family dwellings, including dwellings built before June 1, 1980, the effective date of the uniform dwelling code, and it reaches detached garages and accessory buildings as well. Sec. 54-3(d) puts enforcement with the building inspector or any inspector of the building inspection division, who is authorized to enter the premises at reasonable hours, as a condition of the building permit, during construction and until final inspection and approval, to check compliance with all state and municipal codes in this chapter, meaning SPS 328 compliance is checked at the same rough and final inspections that clear the rest of the dwelling.
A copy of SPS 328 and any future amendments must be kept on file in the office of the city building inspector under Sec. 54-3(a)(2), so a homeowner or contractor can review the exact placement and testing standard the city is enforcing before scheduling an inspection.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 54 attaches no detector-specific fine, so a violation of the adopted SPS 328 standard falls under the Code's general forfeiture in Sec. 1-11(a): not less than $1.00 nor more than $2,000.00 for each offense, rising to $10.00-$2,000.00 for a repeat offense under Sec. 1-11(b). Because compliance is checked at rough and final inspection under Sec. 54-3(d), a missing or defective detector can also hold up the certificate of occupancy required by Sec. 54-3(f)(9) before the dwelling may be used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does De Pere have its own smoke detector ordinance?
Do older De Pere homes have to meet the detector code?
Who checks that a De Pere home has working detectors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in De Pere
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